The Fair Stranger
by Artistic Ane
Summary: Hiccup and Toothless have been kidnapped by the leader of the Outcasts, Alvin the Treacherous! But someone had witnessed this foul deed, and is determined to help. From the Isle of Night, all the way back to Berk, Astrid wonders: Who is this Fair Stranger?
1. Meeting the Mysterious Mani

"Raise the sails! We're headed home!" the large, bearded man yelled, his voice carrying far into the mountains on the cape. He leaned in close to the boy tied near the black dragon, probably to leer about something. Grassy green eyes narrowed at the sight of the poor creature chained up.

"Come onto _my_ island to lure and capture dragons, will ya? Just who do ya think ye are, huh? Well, we'll see if ya get away with it, now won't we?"

Light feet swiftly slid down the rocky slopes, and a lithe body crouched down near the large boulders, staying out of sight.

"Go on, get out of here. Take me to your lair…"

As soon as the large ship slid out to sea, their stalker slipped to a crevice in the mountains, where a tiny makeshift raft awaited.

"Never thought I'd actually use this."

Nimble fingers tugged the crude craft down the beach, into the waiting waves. Their owner sat on the tied branches, staring out to sea, waiting for something. Not long after, while the ship was still in sight, the stranger was no longer alone.

"I want you to follow me at a distance, okay? They've got a black beauty on board their ship, and I'd bet my arrows that they have more wherever they're headed."

Stained, crooked teeth showed through a crooked smile. "So, let's go and rescue some dragons, eh?"

WWW

If Astrid was a worrier, she'd probably be biting her lip. But she wasn't one, so she wasn't doing that. Nor was she drumming her fingers against Stormfly's neck, no matter what Ruffnut said. Because she didn't worry herself senseless over Hiccup. That just wasn't something she did. Because she didn't worry.

At all. Ever.

Except maybe now, after hearing that the Outcasts made a Night Fury replica on the Isle of Night.

They probably lured Hiccup here somehow and captured him! She glanced at her chief and his best friend. They were both frowning at the ground, confused creases on their foreheads.

"What's wrong, Chief?" she asked. If there was something they could do for Hiccup and Toothless, by every single god and goddess she knows, she was going to do it.

"We saw signs of living further inland," Stoick explained. "In the wooded parts of the island. It seemed far too… neat, to be an Outcast outpost. There may be an outsider helping Alvin."

"In which case," Gobber added, "we'll have to be very careful. That helper could very well be the trick up Alvin's sleeve that he needs."

"Hey, there's something over there," Fishlegs said, pointing down the coast. Stoick and Gobber looked down where he gestured, and made their way toward the markings in the sand.

"Hmm," Gobber mused. "Looks like a raft of sorts was put to use here."

"And, uh, what would _that_ be?" Snotlout asked, pointing at deep grooves, like giant snake tracks, flanked by what was clearly claw marks.

Gobber's eyes widened. "I don't know, Snotlout… Don't recall seeing tracks such as these before…"

"Whatever they are," Stoick said, "they probably were headed to Outcast Island. And so are we." Under his breath, he added, "We're coming for you, son."

Astrid silently, but wholeheartedly, echoed him.

WWW

Toothless felt pretty proud of himself after that little stunt that got him released. But gloating would have to wait. He had his Rider to find. He followed the scent into some more caged rooms, but both he and the older human were missing. He followed their trail outside, but then it led up to the air. He roared, hoping that his Rider would hear.

"Oh, wow. You truly are such a beauty."

Toothless turned about, snarling at the potential threat. It was another hairless human, not accounting for the extremely light fur growing short on its head. This one seemed to almost glow in the night, the moonlight reflecting off its natural hide. The hides that it used as all other humans do were thin, faded, and definitely past their shedding date.

No, wait… do humans shed? Maybe not.

Toothless growled at this new human, who continued to smile gently at him.

"It's all right, boyo, I promise not to hurt ya." It crept closer, slowly and tentatively. Toothless growled louder. It stilled for a moment, before raising a small foreleg. "Hush, now. It's okay, honest. I'm a friend. I was plannin' on rescuin' ya, but I guess ya beat me to it, huh, boyo?"

The Night Fury inhaled, and recognized the smells this human was giving off. It smelled of the island where he and his Rider were captured. Another scent wafted from it, though… something familiar…

It stood still, foreleg still outstretched. Toothless narrowed his eyes, but decided he'd be better off trusting this human… for now. He closed his eyes and placed his muzzle against its claw. The human smiled more broadly, and rubbed his muzzle in soothing motions.

"That's it, boyo. You're all right." It glanced back at his tail. "Huh, so I guess you're a domesticated dragon, eh? You've got a saddle, and what's this?" It slowly knelt down at his side, inspecting his Rider's stirrup, but thankfully not touching it. "Connected to your tail fin, eh? Whoever your owner is, they're a smithing genius, obviously. Strange stirrup, though. How does he fit his foot onto that? Does he wear special shoes, perhaps?" It looked back up at him. "Well, either way, I suppose we'd better find him, eh? It'll be daylight soon. I'm guessing he's the kid I saw on my island, eh? Well, don't you worry, boyo, we'll find him, I promise ya."

Toothless certainly hoped so.

WWW

The sun had only just risen when the Night Fury heard the roar of his kin. Of course, that meant that his Rider was calling him. Why he hadn't just done that in the first place was beyond him, but Toothless didn't care. He answered back with a roar of his own, causing the human to grab its ears in pain.

"Well, that's certainly a human-sounding noise. I'm guessing that's your owner, then?"

Toothless began bounding off to where he heard his Rider, the new human close behind. Coming across a sandy clearing, he let out another roar, as his Rider ran towards him.

"Toothle- OH!" He was promptly tackled by a bounding Night Fury, who covered him in sloppy dragon kisses.

Hiccup laughed as he pushed his over-happy dragon off of him. "Are you okay, bud? Oh, I'm so sorry, Toothless. This was all my fault."

"'Toothless?' That's a strange name, considering I definitely saw teeth in that mouth of his."

Hiccup looked over his dragon's wings, and saw someone new, with crudely cut light-blonde hair, bright green eyes, and extremely old clothes. The boy's light grey shirt was loose and thin, tattering at the edges, and the light brown pants had huge holes in the knees, barely connected. A bow and quiver was slung around thin shoulders, and the filthy feet were bare. Not trusting any strangers on this island, he immediately jumped between this one and Toothless. He heard the others behind him pull out weapons and take defensive stances.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa there!" the stranger called out, hands in the air. "I mean no harm to anyone. I saw you and your dragon get captured back on my island, and I thought I'd help out. Clearly, ya didn't even need it, so I just wasted a trip."

"Uh, Mildew?" Hiccup called back. "Do you know this guy?"

The old man started stammering. "Ah, no, I never seen his face 'round here before. He's definitely not one of Alvin's men, if that's what you want to know."

The stranger began smirking, and trying really hard to keep from laughing. Hiccup narrowed his eyes, but the chuckle wasn't malicious; it seemed something was genuinely funny to this guy. Once under control, the blonde shrugged and simply asked, "Who's Alvin?"

At that moment, Toothless started growling menacingly to the east. "Whoa, what's the matter, bud?" Hiccup asked.

"Hey there! Boy!" Everyone turned toward the sound of the voice. Alvin the Treacherous was standing atop a cliff, taunting the riders down below. "You weren't gonna leave before we finished our business, were you? Just what I expect from Stoick's little runt."

"Oh, boy," Gobber muttered anxiously. Eyes darted towards the 'runt' who was glaring at the Outcast with hate-filled eyes.

" _That_ ," he spat, "is Alvin."

"Hiccup!" Stoick warned, but his son paid no mind. He leapt upon his dragon, and charged straight for his kidnapper. "Hiccup, no! We got what we came for!"

"Oh, _that's_ how his foot fits. It's a metal leg!"

Astrid raised an eyebrow at the newcomer, who didn't even seem to realize the thoughts were spoken out loud.

"Do it, boy! I'm right here!" Alvin taunted.

The fair stranger frowned. "Well, that's a trap if I've ever heard one…" muttered the archer, before placing two pinkie fingers in a puckered mouth and whistling shrilly. A loud roar answered, and golden brown wings covered the sky before folding into itself and landing on the ground before the one who called it.

"A Timberjack," Gobber breathed out, staring at the beast in awe.

The stranger jumped upon its back and called out, "We gotta help them!" The dragon roared again in reply, and began crawling on the rocks awkwardly, using the talons on its wings to grip the boulders.

"Now!" yelled the man on the cliff. At his signal, a group of men threw weighted ropes at the Night Fury and his Rider, effectively tying them together, and rendering them motionless. Hordes of Outcasts charged towards them and Hiccup struggled against his bonds.

Suddenly, arrows started raining down on the enemies, some of them hitting their legs, others blocking their paths. Hiccup looked up, and saw the stranger standing on the back of a Timberjack, aiming a bow with a master's focus, firing quickly at oncoming Outcasts. The limbless dragon was drooling fire at the throngs, keeping them away from the helpless duo with spatterings of the hot oil-like substance.

Astrid was furious. They would _not_ owe this stranger a debt, even if it did seem to be a friend. "Dragons, everybody!" she ordered, turning around to find…

...a dragonless clearing.

"Uh, we'd love to, but as you can see…" Tuffnut trailed off at the sight of Astrid's face.

Mildew scoffed. "Trusting dragons. This is what it gets you."

Astrid repressed a groan. Where did they go? She rolled her eyes, and caught sight of winged beasts in the sky. "Wait, look!" She pointed to their dragons, flying to the stranger's aid.

Meatlug surrounded Hiccup and Toothless with her lava-like fire, staving off the Outcasts that slipped through Barf and Belch's and the strangers' defenses. Hookfang and Stormfly flew down, and grabbed Toothless and carried them off to safety, near the rest of the group. Stoick and Gobber immediately ran to them and cut through the ropes binding them.

"What happened?" Hiccup asked as soon as he was free.

"The dragons saved you on their own," Fishlegs told him, awestruck.

Astrid shook her head. "Did they? It seemed to me that they were following that guy," she pointed toward the fair stranger, who was keeping lookout as the Timberjack hovered above them.

Catching their eye, the stranger called down, "Maybe you all should catch up later? I don't have an unlimited supply of arrows, here!"

Stoick nodded briskly. "He's right. Let's get out of here now." He jumped upon Thornado, his Thunderdrum, and everyone else followed suit, Gobber clambering on the Deadly Nadder Hiccup temporarily rode to escape, Mildew right behind him.

Stoick allowed Thornado to send a booming roar at the charging Outcasts, distracting them long enough for everyone to safely take to the skies. The stranger kept to the rear, occasionally loosing an arrow at an enemy who ventured too closely. They hadn't gone long before trouble reached them again.

Mildew, apparently, hadn't held onto Gobber or the Nadder tight enough, and was soon hanging on for dear life on the dragon's tail.

"Oh, for the love of Thor," Gobber muttered. "Mildew, get back up here!" One hand fell from its grip. Gobber's eyes widened. "Don't you let go, old man!"

Mildew looked up apologetically. "Tell the boy, I'm sorry."

And with a scream, he plummeted to earth.

"Mildew!" Hiccup cried, turning Toothless around.

Perhaps fortunately, the old man fell into some trees, slowing his fall enough that he survived the crash onto the rocks. Unfortunately, a group of Outcasts was waiting for him. The stranger narrowed green eyes at the sight.

"Go, Hiccup!" Mildew yelled. "You'll have to leave me!"

Hiccup was planning on ignoring the old grump. After all, he'd done so most of his life; why should he stop now? But his path was blocked by a giant, wooden-toned dragon.

"Listen to him," called the Timberjack's rider, as the mount herded the Night Fury away from the island. "Ye can't do anything for him anyway!"

Hiccup was about to protest, but his father called to him, agreeing with the fair stranger. With a muttered curse, he properly turned Toothless around, and headed home.

WWW

Astrid narrowed her eyes. The stranger was following them to Berk! And Stoick was allowing it! This couldn't be good, for anyone involved. Hiccup was just kidnapped, they had just dealt with Heather, and now they were expected to welcome this guy to their home?

She knew it was too late to say something, though, when Berk could be seen on the horizon.

They all landed on the hill behind the Chief's house. The Timberjack grabbed on the trees behind them, stretching its impressive wingspan fully between holds. Its Rider jumped over its shoulder, and slid down the front of its belly, landing gracefully on bare feet in front of the group of Berkians.

"So, this is where you live, huh?" was the first casual remark. "Quaint." A Gronckle chose that moment to fly over them. "And you, what, breed dragons here? You live peacefully among them, then?"

Astrid stalked over to the stranger, unlatching her battle-axe.

"Astrid, wait!" Hiccup called.

He needn't have bothered, though. Before Astrid could take another step toward their unwanted guest, the Timberjack released its grip on the trees, dropping on top of its Rider. It held its weight on its tail, shielding the human with its wings like a tent. Its long neck stretched toward the female Viking, and it bared its numerous sharp teeth.

"Easy, Hati, easy," came the soothing voice of the stranger. Stoick felt a nagging thought in the back of his mind as he searched for a reason that the name sounded familiar. A delicate hand reached up to stroke the neck of its protector, as bare feet came slowly from behind the giant wings. "I'm sure she means well." Green eyes snapped onto the axe-wielding blonde. "What have I done to deserve such a welcome? I should warn you, Hati here is extremely protective and fierce. The wings themselves-"

"Yeah, we know," Astrid interrupted. "A Timberjack's wings are razor sharp, and can cut through a full-grown tree."

Light eyebrows raised up. "A Timberjack, eh? So is that what your kind are called then, Hati? Aptly named, I s'pose."

Hiccup frowned. "You don't know the name of your own dragon?" he asked.

"Well, it's not like I was studying dragons on that island," came the lofty reply, before the green eyes narrowed. "But ya haven't answered my question: Why do ya stand as if ready to attack? Have I done something worthy of your hostility?"

"Yeah," Astrid replied. "You followed us. Why?"

The stranger blinked. "Oh. I guess we did end up doing that. Sorry 'bout that, I guess neither of us really thought about where we going."

"Why didn't you just head back to where you came from?" Astrid demanded. "And why did you help Hiccup? Did you want to get close to a Night Fury?"

"One question at a time!" the stranger cried, throwing hands in the air. "First: We were plannin' on leavin' that island, anyways, we've outlived it. Second: I helped your friend, because he needed help. And finally, as gorgeous as that black beauty is, why would its specie be the deciding factor to be a decent human being?"

"Astrid, as strange as this guy is, he _did_ save my life, and Toothless'," Hiccup defended, gently pushing his friend's weapon down. "That alone gives him the right to keep his life."

Gobber and Stoick shared a look. The chief stepped up. "I am Stoick, chief of Berk. I thank you, for rescuing my son and his dragon. I assume it was your campsite that we found on the Isle of Night?"

The stranger shrugged. "Probably, I was the only person living on it for nearly a year, before those kidnapping bastards came by. And don't worry about it, I only did what any decent person should've done."

Tuffnut frowned. "I wouldn't have done that, would you?" He turned to his twin.

"Of course not," was his sister's reply. "That would imply we were decent!"

"Oh, right…!" Tuffnut said, as if he now fully understood what everyone was talking about.

The stranger distractedly petted the muzzle of the dragon. "Would you mind if I stayed on your island?" came the inquiry. "Not even in the village, we can get by well enough in the woods."

Astrid narrowed her eyes. "Why?"

She was answered with a shrug. "We're here, we can't go back, and this island seems bigger than our last one. We'd probably actually be able to survive longer."

Gobber frowned. "Don't ya have family, lad?"

The stranger's face darkened. "I promise not cause harm to any of ya, we'd just want to live peacefully. All I ask in return is respect and _privacy_."

Stoick and Hiccup looked at each other, before Hiccup said, "It shouldn't be too big of a problem to allow that, right, Astrid?"

Astrid stared at him in disbelief. "Really? You're gonna let a stranger just waltz onto Berk, doing whatever he pleases, just 'cause he saved your life? What if he's a spy for Alvin? It's the Heather incident all over again!"

Snotlout raised a hand. "I disagree! I don't think this guy is anything like Heather!"

"Thanks, Snotlout," Hiccup said, surprised that his self-proclaimed arch-rival was taking this so seriously.

Snotlout nodded sagely. "Heather was one gorgeous babe, this guy is obviously not."

"And there is the Snotlout we know," Hiccup sighed, glancing at the stranger, whose face looked confusing, as if unsure whether to laugh or look insulted.

"Enough!" Stoick said firmly. "Lad, how old are you?"

The stranger stood taller, looking prouder than a lost traveler. "Fifteen, sir." Astrid was surprised to hear that this kid was a year younger than she. And yet they asked for respect? This guy was _obviously_ hiding something!

Stoick nodded. "You're recognized as a man, then, lad. As thanks for your help on Outcast Island, we welcome you to Berk. But understand this, we are not trusting you blindly. If we catch you doing wrong, mark my words, we _will_ kill you."

The stranger's eyes hardened. "While I promise you that it will never come to that, I feel it's only fair to say that you could certainly try, but Hati and I have proved hard to kill in the past."

Stoick blinked, finally recognizing the name. "'Hati?'" he asked. "You've named your dragon after the moon warg?"

The stranger smirked. "I found it a fitting name. After all, my name is Mani."

* * *

 _A/N: The thing about having younger siblings is that you're constantly being bombarded with cartoons. "Race to the Edge" is one of the more recent 'all-day, everyday' shows, and it's actually tolerable. I love the movies, but usually spin-off shows, especially animated ones, are horrendous. I was pleasantly surprised to actually (for the most part) enjoy this one, and of course, the writer in me had to create a character for the universe. So, I give you Mani and Hati!_


	2. Finding Loopholes

Hiccup was ready to pull out his hair. His father just never seemed to listen! Grounding the dragons would not only cause the large reptiles to be extremely antsy, but it also greatly lowered their defense. "Dad," he tried again, "Alvin has his own dragons: Changewings, Scauldrons, Whispering Deaths, I saw them with my own eyes!"

"Yes," Stoick agreed, "when you were _kidnapped_ and locked up in an Outcast prison."

Hiccup did his best not to flinch, knowing that that would mean defeat in his father's eyes. "He's also read the Book of Dragons," he continued to argue, "he's seen Astrid train a Monstrous Nightmare, _and_ he still has Mildew, who I really doubt would be able to hold up under questioning!"

"Hiccup," Stoick began, but his son interrupted.

"If Alvin learns how to train his dragons and he attacks with them, our only chance is to fight back with ours!" Hiccup never thought he'd see the day he'd try to convince his father, Stoick the Vast, that their best chance of survival was to fight.

His father shook his head. "I understand where you're coming from, son. But I'm not going to risk your life, or the lives of your Dragon Riders. That is my final word on the subject." On that note, he turned away and continued barking orders at men reinforcing the docks.

Hiccup actually did run his fingers through his hair in a feeble attempt to yank it out. His thoughts raced to try to find a solution. He snapped his head up. The chief wouldn't risk the lives of any of the Riders of Berk… but what if he got outside help?

He turned inland, gazing at the woods.

WWW

Hours later, Hiccup was angrily cursing his father's no flight rule. He trudged through the dirt, his left leg limping slightly. Most days, his metal foot didn't really hurt him, but with Toothless grounded, he was on it a lot more than he was used to, and the ache was beginning to pulse.

"How does Gobber deal with this?" he muttered to his dragon. Toothless merely looked down at his owner's prosthetic guiltily, before crouching down for him to climb on. Hiccup smiled. "Thanks, bud, but I think I'd better get used to it. Can't always count on you carrying me everywhere, right?" He scratched Toothless behind his head in gratification, though.

Suddenly, something whizzed past Hiccup's face and embedded itself into the tree right next to him. Toothless immediately started growling, but Hiccup calmed him down. He looked at the projectile.

It was an arrow, angled down, made from a sharpened stone tied with vines to a whittled branch.

"Is that how you welcome all your guests, Mani?" he called out.

The trees began to shake, leaves raining down on the two below them, before a small figure leapt down, landing in a crouching position in front of them, bow in hand, pale blonde head bent.

Green eyes sparkled at them, and stained teeth peeked through smirking lips. "A guest is invited, Hiccup. Sorry if I scared ya," Mani continued, standing up and walking over to his arrow. "I s'pose I just wanted to know your reaction."

Hiccup frowned as Mani pulled his fired weapon from the bark. "What do you mean?"

Mani sighed, placing the arrow into the quiver slung around thin shoulders. "I'm not used to people wanderin' about in the woods _without_ weapons, Hiccup. It looked wrong, and I felt the need to show ya _why_. What if ya need to protect yourself? Can ya always trust your dragon to be there for ya?"

Hiccup glanced at Toothless. While he wanted to say yes, too many moments popped into his head, reminding him that there were times when they were separated. The most recent, of course, leading to his capture on the Isle of Night. Which led to his father placing the flight ban. Which led him here.

"Mani," Hiccup began, hoping that the stranger would listen to his plea. "Do you think you can do me, or rather, Berk, a favor?"

A light eyebrow raised into messy, unkempt hair. Hiccup couldn't really find an reason to defend it.

Mani and Hati, the Timberjack that traveled with the blonde, had followed them from Outcast Island, apparently not even aware of what they were doing. Because of all that Berk had gone through the past few months, Astrid was not exactly welcoming to the new dragon rider. In fact, most of Berk had even ignored the newest additions to their island. But Hiccup couldn't really blame them, either. Although Mani had saved his life, the young archer hadn't exactly tried to connect with the citizens. They had seemed perfectly content to just camp out in the woods.

They don't even know why Mani was alone on the Isle of Night.

"I know that we haven't exactly greeted you with open arms," Hiccup admitted, "but I need someone who _isn't_ a citizen of Berk. My dad put all the Riders on a flight ban. Meaning we can't fly any of our dragons. Putting us at a great disadvantage if Alvin decides to attack us with his."

"Ah, so you come to me, who has no loyalty to your chief," Mani smirked, leaning on a tree. "Well, I'd be happy to help protect my new home, but you're gonna have to elaborate a bit on what exactly ya want me to do."

"Well, really, it's just patrolling the skies, but I think at night would be best," Hiccup explained. He was so relieved the younger teen was willing to put up with this. "And you know what? I'll even make a saddle for Hati if you'd like." He looked around. "Where is he, anyway?"

"Oh, Hati's around somewhere," Mani shrugged. "Probably after squirrels. She likes those. The little buggers tend to tease the poor thing, so revenge is very… delicious."

Hiccup groaned uncomfortably at the thought of what the Timberjack's revenge would entail, before freezing and staring at the other youth. "'She?'"

"Oh, I've never said? Hati's a female." Mani smiled broadly before the pale face darkened and the green eyes hardened. "That's not a problem, is it?"

"No, no, not a problem," Hiccup hurriedly said. "After all, Stormfly and Meatlug are, too. It's just kinda… awkward, since we've been calling her a, well, a him, all this time. Plus, um, isn't the moon warg a, uh… male?"

Mani's eyes softened. "Well, I suppose that that is the case, but I think it would be safe to say that Hati doesn't really care that you've been getting her gender wrong. As for why I named her that, I told you guys, didn't I? I thought it fitting."

A loud rustling sound was heard overhead. When the three on the ground looked up, they saw Hati above them, using the talons on her wings to hold her place in the bark. Mani smiled and raised bare arms in greeting.

"C'mere, girl!" Mani called. Once the Timberjack landed, Mani embraced the long neck. "When I first met her, I was terrified for my life. But I couldn't just get off the island, it was stormin' somethin' fierce, and my boat was already wrecked. Arrows would do nothing to a dragon, so I ran. For days, I was chased by her, like the wolf Hati chases the moon." The archer glanced up at Hiccup with twinkling eyes. "See where I'm goin' with this?"

Hiccup nodded in understanding. "Ah, yes, now I see. You were being chased, your name is Mani, Hati chases Mani, it's all clear now. Lucky Ragnorok wasn't dependant on you two, huh?"

Mani shrugged, turning back to the golden-brown dragon. "I thought for sure this'un was gonna eat me." The blonde paused, lost in memories. "I was gonna let her, actually. I was so tired of runnin', and I'd been doin' it for so long. I was cold, starvin', and just so, _tired_. I closed my eyes… and then woke up to sunshine, and roasted squirrels and fish. She protected me that night from any more rain and wind, and had gone hunting for me as well." Mani smiled gently, giving Hati another squeeze. "I was raised to kill dragons, because I was taught that it is 'kill or be killed.' But that night, Hati showed me otherwise. So I promised her: if she was willing to protect me, I'd do the same for her."

Mani stilled for a moment, before smirking at Hiccup and Toothless. "Well, I'm just blabbin' everythin' to ya, aren't I? Tell ya what, I'll meet ya at the blacksmith's after sunset. Does that sound doable?"

Hiccup started at the sudden change in attitude, but before he could ask any questions about Mani's past, the fair teen leapt onto the dragon's back. Hiccup noticed that the slight kid lay in the prone position along the Timberjack's back, fingers grasping the spines protruding from its neck.

"See ya tonight!"

And with a great gust of wind, the giant dragon took to the skies.

WWW

When the sun went down, Hiccup was pounding the day's frustrations away against the shield he was fashioning. His father, the ban, Ruff and Tuff's usual antics, Snotlout's annoyingness, and then Astrid had the gall to lecture _him!_ As if he could ever control his dad! That'd be like him controlling the weather! And now Toothless was mad at him, because they couldn't take their usual evening lap around the island.

The flapping of wings caused him to snap his head up, ready to tell off whoever broke his dad's ban. But the huge wings were unfamiliar in the night sky. Before he could sound the alarm, though, the dragon dived down to the ground, and a figure slid down its back. The dragon, now recognized as Hati, used his - wait, no, _her_ \- wings to scuttle closer to Toothless as Mani walked up to the shop.

"I saw nothing to report, commander Hiccup!" the blonde saluted. "It sure was nice, though, flying over at night. Your village is so pretty."

Toothless growled at Mani's words, and twitched his tail threateningly. Hati paused a moment, before growling back at the Night Fury.

"Calm down, Toothless," Hiccup sighed. "It's not their fault you can't get out there."

"Easy, Hati," Mani soothed. "He's just irritated."

"Well, you can't really blame him," said Gobber as he limped into his shop. "Usually he and Hiccup are enjoying an evening flight at this hour. 'Course they can't do that now, what with the ban on flying and all. Oh, but I guess Stoick can't really tell you not to do it, can he? Since you're not really one of his…" He trailed off after noticing the glare Hiccup was giving him. He cleared his throat. "So! What are we making?"

Hiccup smiled, grateful for the subject change. "What do you think?"

Gobber frowned in confusion. "All this work for a _shield_?"

"Well, it's not _just_ a shield," Hiccup explained. He aimed it at Mani, and the front decoration fell away as a weight flew out, wrapping itself around the young blonde, and dragging him towards the shield-bearer. They stared at each other for a few seconds in stunned silence. Mani's eyes were wide in surprise, and Hiccup was suddenly very aware that this new invention brought people _extremely_ close to each other. It'd be great if he had a weapon to use against an enemy, but with Mani being an ally, this was just awkward.

There was a smattering of light freckles underneath the green eyes and across the small nose.

Gobber smirked. "Handy."

"You have two seconds to release me before I sic Hati on ya, and then kill ya myself."

Hiccup blinked. Mani sounded very serious. And… scared? What reason was there to be scared?

Regardless, Hiccup loosened the rope around him, and pushed the mechanism that gathered it back into the shield. "If we can't ride dragons," he continued, "we have to protect ourselves somehow."

Gobber sighed. "You know, Hiccup, your father's just doing what he thinks is best. He's trying to keep you safe!"

Mani snorted derisively. The other two looked at the blonde in surprise. "Sorry, rememberin' somethin'. Pay me no mind." With a frown, Mani looked off to the side, arms crossed. Hiccup frowned. Why so insecure? Was it because he caught the teen off-guard?

"Oh, Mani." The blonde head snapped up. "I finished Hati's saddle for you. Let's see if we can get it on him, her!"

"'Her?'" Gobber echoed.

Mani smirked. "Is it so hard believe that she's a female?" A laugh escaped from upturned lips. "By Freya, it's like you guys expect all warriors to _be_ male!"

"Oh, that's not the case, lad," Gobber assured. "Believe it or not, Astrid's actually one of our best warriors. At least of her generation. It's more of a shock that you didn't correct us when we first met."

"She doesn't seem to mind, so why should I get upset if she's not?" Mani shrugged.

Gobber conceded with a nod. "Well, I'll leave the lot of you to it, then. I imagine, Hiccup, you'll be here for a while? Shame, though, really. Have you seen that moon? Can't imagine a more _beautiful_ night for flying!"

Hiccup glared at him some more.

"I, ah, best be going now," Gobber said sheepishly.

Hiccup continued to glower at Gobber's limping back. When he turned around, Toothless was right up in his face. With a cry of surprise, he stumbled back. Mani snickered. He shot the bow-wielder a look before turning to his Night Fury. "I know what you're thinking," he said, "and you can forget it."

"You know," Mani began, "there's somethin' about your black beauty's scales. I can't quite put my finger on it, but the way they shimmer in the firelight…" Mani's voice trailed off, before snapping nimble fingers. "I've got it! His scales are just like stars! He probably blends in very well against the night sky, doesn't he?"

"Yeah, when we first met, it was almost impossible to see him. It was actually a lucky shot, huh, bud?" He laughed uncomfortably as Toothless raise an eye ridge. "Or you know maybe not…?"

"So, if he did go out flyin', odds are that no one would be able to see him, right?" Mani smirked as Hiccup pieced together what the archer was hinting at.

"You really don't want to see my dad when he's mad," Hiccup deadpanned. "As the chief, he is always right."

"Yak dung," Mani spat. "Just 'cause he's the head, doesn't mean he's infallible. You know what this Alvin guy is capable of, yes? I'm assumin' your dad does, too, but I'm also willin' to bet my arrows he's thinkin' like a Viking, not as a dragon owner. If Alvin's got dragons, he's usin' them. He'd have to be an idiot otherwise, it's bad battle sense. Plus, even if he didn't use 'em, no offense or anythin' but you don't look like you could use a sword to save your life."

"Hey!" Hiccup started, offended. "That's… probably true… But that's why I make inventions such as this!" He patted his grapple shield, which Mani gave a wary eye. He sighed. "Look, I know that the safest place for me is on Toothless. I know that my dad is wrong. But what am I supposed to do about it?"

Mani raised an eyebrow before shrugging. "Well, I can't tell ya what to do. So, do you want me to patrol the island every night, then? You're gonna trust the stranger who's only been here… not even a week?"

Toothless growled a bit. Hiccup glanced at him.

"I understand you not wantin' to get yourself or your friends in trouble," Mani began.

"Oh, I'm not afraid of getting into trouble," Hiccup interrupted. "I kinda do it all the time. But, you're right. I can't get the others in trouble, and I can't get _you_ into trouble."

"Um, Hiccup. The whole point of asking me to do this was because Stoick can't technically order me around."

"Well, believe me, that's not gonna stop him… Tell you what, you and I can patrol. This way, you learn more about Berk, and no one else gets in hot water with my dad. Sound good?"

"So, instead of using me to protect your village, you're just using me as an excuse to get some flying done?"

Hiccup blinked, and stammered a bit before Mani chuckled a bit before continuing, "I'm teasin', Hiccup. I don't mind helpin' out."

He smiled gratefully at his new friend. "Let's get that saddle on Hati, huh?"

WWW

Hiccup panted, adrenaline coursing through him. "That was close," he muttered. He patted Toothless' side as they landed. "Nice flying, bud. I think we lost her."

"Lost who?"

Hiccup looked up, and saw Mani hovering. "Astrid. I knew she wouldn't take this lying down. Of _course_ , she'd go after me."

Hati landed beside them, using her tail as a rest. Mani released the holds in the saddle, and slid down the dragon's back. Because Timberjacks don't have limbs, Hiccup had to get creative with the saddle. Instead of fastening around the middle, this one had two loops of leather on its front and back ends, one to go around the neck, and the other went around the base of the tail. This way, it kept Mani stable, and it did not inhibit Hati's flying. It was longer than most saddles, as Mani still lay down to ride. But Hiccup added some loops of leather to hold, and the bare feet were steady against a protruding ledge, for when the dragon decided to fly more vertically. Mani was particularly excited about this, because "it will give me more support when I fire my bow."

Mani frowned, landing on the rocks, and stroking Hati's belly. "How did she see you? Night should have been the perfect cover for you guys."

"Yeah, well, you tend to notice things when you hear a dragon's roar," a new voice called down to them. Astrid, looking mighty disapproving, landed Stormfly on Hiccup's other side.

Hiccup grimaced before plastering on a 'winning' smile. "Astrid! We were just talking about you!"

Astrid raised an eyebrow before saying, "So, I'm guessing this is the part where I ask you if your dad changed his mind, and you tell me he didn't, and that you're going behind his back. Again." She looked at him expectantly.

"Actually, no," Hiccup said defensively. "This is the part where I tell you my dad is wrong."

Astrid was surprised. "So, he knows?"

"I didn't say that," Hiccup evaded.

She sighed. "You know, I'm not surprised, at all, that you're here, Hiccup. But what are _you_ doing here?" she shot at Mani.

Now Mani raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? Are ya seriously going to do this? I was asked to help protect my new home, and I'm obliging. What would it take to get you to trust me?"

"How about you tell us why you were on that island alone?"

"Astrid," Hiccup intervened. "You were there on Outcast Island, too. You know what Alvin is capable of. We need all the help we can get!"

"So, you were just gonna fly around at night, just the two of you, and say nothing?" Astrid asked incredulously.

"That… was the plan," Hiccup mumbled. "When you say it like that, it sounds, kinda ridiculous."

"Or dangerous," Mani remarked. "Depending on how you look at it."

Hiccup sighed. "I just didn't want you guys to get into trouble, Astrid. My dad can't technically order Mani around, since he's not a villager. So, I thought that this would be the right thing."

Astrid smiled gently. It was just so, Hiccup, that he'd be doing this. She really couldn't be too mad at him, even if he did ask for Mani's help before hers. She supposed that his reasoning made sense. "We both know what the right thing is, Hiccup," she told him. "But if we're gonna ride dragons behind your father's back, we _all_ need to ride dragons behind your father's back."

Hiccup smiled in understanding. She was right, after all. They were in this together.

"So, basically," Mani called out, "your little dragon-riding club is going to be a secret dragon-riding club, now?"

Hiccup snapped toward the archer. "That's a great idea!" he cried. "We are now, the Flight Club! Training undercover of darkness! Prepared against all foes!"

WWW

The next day, at sundown, all the dragon Riders were assembled in the Academy. Hiccup and Astrid had gone about the town, convincing the other warriors to meet up, and form their secret flight club. Hiccup walked up the line of Vikings.

"Okay, everyone, you know why you're here," he said.

Tuffnut groaned. "Speak for yourself!" He and his sister were still very confused with all the ' _is'_ and ' _doesn't exist'_ but it _does_ exist… Seems they have yet to make up their minds.

Hiccup decided to explain as best he could. "We need to be ready for Riders on _any_ type of dragon. From a Typhoomerang, to a Scauldron, to a Changewing, even a Whispering Death. So, I put together some training exercises."

"Blah, blah, blah!" Snotlout interrupted. "Can we _go_ already? Hookfang's inner warrior needs to be unleashed, and it needs to unleashed twenty-four hours ago!"

"Actually, no, we can't yet," Hiccup said. The twins and Snotlout groaned; he probably wanted to give them a few more rules and regulations before they actually started. "We're not all here yet."

Tuffnut glanced about. "Uh, yeah, we are. The only other dragon-rider around would be your dad. Is he coming, too?"

"It wouldn't be a very good secret club if your dad's allowed, too," Ruffnut grumbled.

"No!" cried Hiccup. "There is no way my dad is going to join. He's the one guy that we absolutely _have_ to keep this a secret from."

Ruffnut frowned. "Well, then who's left?"

"Well, nice to know how memorable I am!"

Everyone looked up, and above the academy, through the bars of the giant cage, they saw an excited, grinning Mani, hanging on to Hati's tail, as the Timberjack hovered above them.

"Oh, right," Tuffnut exclaimed. " _You_ exist."

"Well, excuse me, tough guy, if I haven't exactly felt the need to leave my forest as of late!"

Snotlout spluttered. "Excuse me, _your_ forest?!"

"Well, I didn't see anyone else's name on it!"

"Okay, guys!" Hiccup intervened before things got too out of hand. "Now that we're all here…"

"Finally," Ruffnut muttered.

"...let's mount up! Our first stop is going to be Changewing Island!"

Mani looked to Hati, and flicked a finger up in the air. Hati seemed to recognize this as a signal, and flicked her tail, sending Mani soaring into her saddle. "Well, we're ready when you are! Lead the way!"

By the time everyone had mounted their dragons and they left the academy, the sun went down. It did not take them long before they came across an island that seemed to have glittering gems in their trees.

"Oh, yeah," Tuffnut said. "Stones of good fortune. A life-time of good luck! I can't wait to get my hands on one!"

Astrid groaned. "Tuffnut, we've been over this! Those are dragon eggs!"

"Uh, yeah, and leave them alone, _please?_ " Fishlegs begged, sending a look directly Snotlout's way. "I _really_ don't want to revisit the Changewing debacle!"

"Oh, someone's tellin' me _that_ story when we get back!" Mani cried.

They landed silently on trees without eggs in them, glancing about for any of the dragons the island was named for.

"So," Mani began, "does anyone want to tell me anything about these Changewings? 'Cause I'd like to remind ya, that I know nothin' about whatever's not a Timberjack."

Fishlegs gladly obliged. "A changewing has soft scales that can change colors to blend with its surroundings. They hunt in groups of three or four, and they shoot out hot, corrosive acid instead of fire. They're a mystery class, with an attack of nine, speed fourteen, and a shot limit of ten. Which is a lot, actually, because again, they always hunt in groups."

"I think we're about to witness that," Astrid whispered.

The teens all watched as a boar was separated from its singular, and then cornered by three Changewings, all of which revealed themselves to the swine.

"Hey," Tuffnut called to his sister. "Don't we know that boar?"

"Yeah, we do!" Ruffnut cried. "That's Bjorn Boar!"

Astrid nearly facepalmed. "Are they serious?" she asked Hiccup.

"You leave Bjorn alone!" yelled Tuffnut.

"Clearly, they are," Hiccup deadpanned.

The three Changewings looked up from their hunt, catching sight of the seven teens in the trees. Finding much larger prey than one measly boar, they switched targets.

Tuffnut immediately backpedaled. "You're on your own, Bjorn!" he called.

"Scatter!" Mani screamed as the Changewings let loose the green acid. Mani gasped as Hati looped in midair to avoid an acid bomb.

"Keep your distance!" Hiccup ordered. "Their acid is only effective at a close range!"

"Not very comforting when you're riding the _slowest dragon!_ " Fishlegs screamed, before apologizing quietly to Meatlug.

"There are too many of them!" Snotlout oh-so-helpfully pointed out. "And they come out of _nowhere!_ "

Hiccup frowned. The Changewings leapt among the trees, then leapt off of them to charge at the Riders, spitting acid. Then an idea came to his mind. "Wait. If they don't have anything to camouflage against…"

"Then they'll lose their advantage!" Fishlegs finished. Immediately, all the Riders commanded their dragons to fly higher, away from the trees. The Changewings followed, but with nothing to blend into, they were completely visible. With no defense, they were quickly taken care of: spines from Stormfly's tail, plasma blasts from Toothless, fire power from Hookfang and Barf and Belch, and Hati even managed to nick one of them with her wings.

"Whoo-hoo!" Ruffnut cried. "That was awesome!"

"Was no one listening about what I said about the Changewing debacle?"

WWW

The next night, Hiccup searched for a certain tell-tale scorch mark. Finding the swirl-shaped burn, he told everyone all he could recall about the Typhoomerang. Mani listened with rapt attention. Astrid was somewhat worried about this. It was too similar to the time Heather wanted to know more about their dragons, flirting with all the guys to get information and finally stealing their Book of Dragons. The difference was, Mani hadn't tried flirting with her or Ruffnut… yet. Astrid imagined the archer's face would be a great place for her axe if that happened.

"And if you look at the mark," Fishlegs was explaining, "you can tell which way it came from and which way it was headed."

Snotlout stood up. "I know which way it's headed without all that stuff," he said. Mani looked up with narrowed eyes, more confusion than annoyance. The shorter warrior's words were not said with the impatient scoff that usually accompanied him.

Astrid, however, thought nothing of it. "Oh, really?" she asked, crossing her arms. "Where's it going?"

Snotlout shook his head. "It's not, it's coming." He pointed behind the group. "Right at us!"

Everyone quickly stood up to face the giant dragon.

"Oh, Hlin, watch us…" Mani whispered. Astrid glanced over at the prayer to the goddess of protection. She supposed it made sense: Typhoomerangs were almost twice as large as Timberjacks.

"Anything else we needed to learn?" Hiccup asked as he backed towards Toothless.

"Nope!" cried Tuffnut, as Ruffnut insisted, "We're good!" And they scurried toward their own dragon.

Luckily they all escaped without harm, but shortly after they took to the skies, Tuffnut called out, "Hey, Hiccup? I thought you said there was no way your dad would join Dragon Flight Club?"

"There isn't. He's not."

"Oh, weird. 'Cause he's right there." He pointed below them, where Stoick was riding Thornado close to the water.

"What the? Aw, Helheim," Hiccup muttered. "Quick! Evasive cloud maneuvers!" Without another sound, everyone flew into the fluffy sky-dwellers. "We'll stay here until we're over the village!" He glanced about the group, making sure no one was making stupid mistakes. "What are you guys doing?" He groaned at the twins, who had flipped their Zippleback upside-down so that their heads were peeking underneath.

"We can't see in the clouds," Tuffnut defended.

Ruffnut added, "It's too cloudy."

"Guys! If your heads aren't in the clouds, my dad can see you!"

Mani chuckled. "Tell ya what, guys, I'll lead him away while the rest of ya get home!"

"What, Mani, no! He might kill you!" Hiccup protested.

But the smirking blonde sent him a wink before turning sharply to the left, towards the woods, occasionally flying out of the clouds to entice their hunter.

Stoick caught sight of the vanishing tail, and immediately pursued. Mani kept him close by, before urging Hati closer to the trees. The dragon understood her Rider's wishes, and dove into the forest, using her razor-sharp wings to fall the pines and impede the chief's flight.

Mani let out a giggle as soon as it seemed Stoick was lost.

WWW

The next sundown, everyone gathered at the academy again. After they all ensured Mani that they all had indeed arrived at their homes safely and thanked the archer for the needed distraction, Ruffnut asked, "So, what are we doing tonight?"

"Nothing," Hiccup firmly replied.

"That doesn't sound fun at all," Tuffnut complained.

"Look, my dad is onto us," Hiccup explained. "Mani may have led him away from us last night, but I'm still sure that he saw more than one dragon. It's important that we lay low until this blows over. We need to be invisible."

"Like a Changewing!" Mani piped up, clearly pleased to show off the newly acquired knowledge.

"Exactly," Hiccup said, before a loud voice interrupted him.

"Hey! Hey guys!" Snotlout screamed as Hookfang dove into the academy, whole body ablaze, very eye-catching in the quickly darkening sky.

Hiccup threaded his fingers in his hair at the sight. "Snotlout! What did I tell you? No dragons!"

Tuffnut laughed. "Even _I_ knew that."

Hiccup sighed. "What's so important anyway?"

Snotlout scowled a bit before assuming a nonchalant expression. "Let's just say I may have saved this _entire island._ Alvin and the Outcasts are attacking as we speak." He casually inspected his nails before glancing to gauge the others' reactions.

Astrid looked to Hiccup. "So, what do we do?" she prompted.

But it was Mani who spoke. "I'd have thought that'd be obvious. Send the bastard back to where he came from."

Astrid sent a warning glare at the archer. "How? We don't exactly have an armada, you know!"

Mani stared back incredulously. "You have bloody dragons! I think Stoick will allow you to use them in defense!"

Astrid turned back to their leader. "Hiccup?"

"No, Mani's right," Hiccup agreed. "We need to go to my dad and tell him what Snotlout saw, and fight them off."

"Are you sure?" Fishlegs asked. "He's gonna know that we broke the ban."

"Yeah, well, he did it, too, so..." Hiccup argued. "Let's go."

Less than an hour and an argument later, the whole academy, plus Thornado and Hati, were flying out to sea toward Alvin the Treacherous and his naval army.

"I'm going to draw their first round of fire," he told the group of teens. "When they're reloading, then you attack. But not before!" he warned. "Mani, lad! See if you can use those arrows of yours in the dark as well as you can in the day."

"You got it, sir!"

The burly chief flew down to the ships, and Alvin commanded the catapults to fire. Thornado easily dodged the oncoming boulders, and sent a deafening sonic roar their way. The sound shook some arrows from their path, turning back on their shooters. A few men jumped overboard in fright, and Alvin sent another boulder Stoick's way. The chief of Berk caught the rock and hurled it back to them.

"Now, Hiccup!" he roared.

On cue, all the other dragon riders flew into the fray. The dragons breathed their fire down, and Stormfly and Mani sent their favored projectiles. As if this was a signal, Alvin had his crew open their cargo hold, and let loose the clan of Changewings they had held.

Hiccup quickly strategized. "Astrid!" he called. "You and the others try to herd them off to Changewing Island. Keep them _away_ from Berk! Mani and I will stay to help my dad."

Astrid looked like she wanted to disagree for a second, but simply said, "On it!" and flew off to carry out her orders. Mani nodded to Hiccup in understanding, and continued to shower the enemy in arrows.

"Hati, spit up!" the archer commanded.

The Timberjack released a fiery oil, whipping her head up, and sending the drops skyward. Mani stood on the saddle, took aim with three arrows at once, and fired them at the ships. Upon touching the fire secretion, the wooden weapons immediately were ablaze and once they landed on the decks, the whole ship quickly erupted in flames. Hati dove down, agilely avoiding the hurtling rocks as Mani held on for dear life, and slashed at the sails of a few other ships. Hiccup almost let out a celebratory whoop at the duo's tactics, but instead opted to copy them.

"Alvin! The wild dragons are retreating!"

Hiccup chanced a glance behind him. The other Riders were doing just fine on their part. Now to just run off the Outcasts.

"Dad!" he called. "Combine our shots!"

Thornado sent the armada his sonic waves, and Toothless hit the middle of that cyclone. The plasma blast dispersed all around, like a Typhoomerang.

Soon, Hiccup heard Alvin call for a retreat. They shifted sails and turned the vessels around, much less than what they had arrived with. Hiccup released that celebratory whoop.

As the three of them flew back to Berk, Hiccup glanced over at Mani. "What's up?" he asked, noticing the frown.

"Of all the dragons you say the man had on that island of his, he chose Changewings?" Mani pointed out. "A dragon with little defense besides the camouflage ability, which it can't do against the sky?"

Hiccup nodded, completely understanding. "Yeah, I thought for sure that he'd have a better plan than this…"

"Let's be thankful to the gods that he didn't," Stoick called.

Hiccup nodded to Mani, who saluted the two of them before flying back towards the woods. He only hoped that his dad was right.


	3. Stoick's Assertion

_A/N: I usually put these at the bottom, but I should warn you: this is an original story. Sorta. This isn't an episode rewrite. I'm trying something new, following a favorite author of mine, where I'll insert these original stories occasionally. Mani will have interactions with the characters on their own, which will slowly reveal Mani's character to you. It's considerably shorter than the previous chapter, but hopefully that will change with other characters. We'll see._

* * *

Stoick landed Thornado in the middle of one of the few clearings the woods had. They were deep inland on Berk, looking for a specific archer and dragon. Stoick had words to give to the teen.

With a large hand on the Thunderdrum's snout, the chief ordered him to stay behind, and stay alert. He headed into the woods, towards where he had seen some fallen trees, cut from above. He hoped he would be able to find his target there, or at least some clues pertaining to their whereabouts.

"Hey, there!" A voice called from above.

Stoick whipped around, battle hammer in hand. Apparently, his prey had come to him. "Lad," Stoick growled at the smiling blonde sitting on a shaded limb, "it's not wise to sneak up on someone like that."

"No sneakin' involved, sir," came the reply. "I've been sittin' here for a while, waitin' for Hati to come back from huntin'. Figured you're lookin' for me, and I thought I'd let ya know I wasn't far." Mani slipped through the branches, and shimmied down the pine's trunk, dusting off faded clothes before approaching the bearded chief. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Stoick scowled. "Your midnight dragon-flying the other night," he answered.

Mani's smile faded, as a look of understanding replaced it. It was two nights ago when Stoick had caught the Dragon Academy fliers riding their dragons, and Mani had led him away from the rest.

"Ah. And I suppose last night's battle doesn't exactly counter the fact that I ignored your ban?"

Stoick frowned deeper. "No, it really doesn't," he said.

"Well, then, sir, let me first point out that you are, quite literally, not the boss of me," Mani said, crossing thin arms. "As I am not a villager of Berk, you shouldn't have control over me."

"Which, I am guessing," Stoick retorted, "is the reasoning Hiccup used when he recruited you." Mani's eyes widened, and Stoick smirked in triumph. "Didn't think I'd figure that out, did ya, lad?"

The blonde head shook. "No, sir, I actually didn't."

"I know my son, Mani, and we've already talked about how it was a mistake to ground the dragons. I don't appreciate the fact that he disobeyed me, but I can admit when I am wrong."

"Well, originally, he wasn't goin' to disobey ya," Mani said. "He planned to have me patrol the island on my own at first, before he realized he didn't want _me_ to get inta trouble. After that, it was just goin' to be the two of us."

Stoick held up a hand to stop the blonde from speaking any more. "I know who was out the other night, lad," he said. "We've all already had a talk about ignoring direct orders from a chief. What I want to talk to you about," he continued, "is making you an official citizen of Berk."

Mani took a step back. "Uh, and just how would ya manage that?" came the inquiry, full of suspicion.

Stoick frowned at the teen's actions. "Just a simple ceremony, and the signing of an oath," he replied.

"What kind of ceremony?" the youth demanded to know.

The chief tilted his head. "What's the matter, lad? Why so scared all of a sudden?"

"I'm not scared!" Mani insisted, but still taking another step back. "I just wanna make sure I know what exactly I'd be gettin' into!"

Stoick was confused, but replied, "The ceremony would simply involve you and me exchanging words and promises, in front of the village."

"You and me?" Mani interrupted. "Makin' promises? Yeah, I don't think so." Spinning on a bare heel, the archer began to run back into the cover of the trees. While running, the youth let out a loud whistle, produced from two pinkie fingers. A loud roar answered the call, but it was faint, as if the dragon was too far.

"Mani!" Stoick called, running after the teen. "Come back here!"

But the blonde was completely ignoring him, sprinting faster among the trees.

"Thornado!" the chief called.

The Thunderdrum quickly ran up to his Rider, who leapt onto the saddle. With a gust of wind, the two of them were up in the sky, blonde head in sight.

"Mani, come back! What's wrong?"

But Mani paid no mind. Instead, the archer grabbed for two arrows from the tattered quiver, and then leapt onto the trunk of a pine. Stoick stared with amazement as the lithe figure used the stone heads to quickly clamber up the tree, with a speed that betold years of practice. Stoick snapped himself out of it, but not before Mani had made it to a large limb and proceeded to nimbly and carefully leap onto adjacent branches, making a path _through_ the trees. Another sharp whistle sounded, and another roar answered, much closer than before.

"Lad!" Stoick bellowed, urging Thornado to rise above the trees. "Why are you running?"

"That's a loaded question!" came the reply. Stoick was surprised at how fear and volume had pitched Mani's voice to a much higher sound.

Stoick narrowed his pale green eyes, searching for movement among the leaves. Catching sight of Mani's path, he whispered to his dragon, "Catch us," before jumping off the Thunderdrum, diving into the pines, right where Mani would be.

The blonde's eyes widened in shock as Stoick came barreling through the branches, and could only freeze in surprise as he wrapped his large hands over the small shoulders, dragging the teen to earth with him. Before they had an untimely journey to Valhalla, though, Thornado swooped down and caught his Rider, who had a firm grasp on his prey.

"Now," he said, setting Mani gently but firmly on the dragon. "You're going to tell me what that was about."

Mani's eyes frantically darted about, and in a last, desperate attempt to escape, tried to stab the chief's hands with the arrows still grasped in the archer's own. But this feeble attempt was easily thwarted when Stoick simply swatted the weapons away, and down they fell to earth.

"Lad," Stoick growled, "if you were so opposed to coming under my protection, you could have simply said so."

Mani huffed. "Sir, I think I've made it quite clear before that I am capable of protecting myself. Your oaths are not what will keep us fed and warm. Your promises will not keep a blade out of my back, except for your own. I do not need nor want _any_ sort of commitment, except to Hati!" With those final words, Mani went limp, slipping through Stoick's arms and off Thornado's back. Stoick gasped in surprise as he tried to pull the youth back up, but could only watch in horror as his reluctant charge fell closer and closer to earth.

Then golden brown filled his vision, and Mani vanished. Looking back up, he saw that the Timberjack had returned to her Rider, who was now standing on the newly acquired saddle. Obviously feeling more confident with the new positions, the blonde looked at the chief with hard eyes, jutted chin, and crossed arms.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, sir, but aren't ya just trying to lower your son's chances of using me as a loophole again with your proposition?" Mani called.

Stoick glared. "All right," he harrumphed, "you got me. Let's talk on the ground, give our dragons' wings a rest." Mani nodded in consent, and the two dragons lowered to the forest floor. Mani slipped over Hati's shoulder, but stayed close to the Timberjack, poised to leap back on if necessary.

"I told you," the chief began, slipping off of his Thunderdrum, "I don't appreciate the fact that Hiccup disobeyed me. I understand that in his mind he was doing the right thing, but if he gets used to it, then who knows how many times he'll mutiny against me? I am his father, and his chief, and I will not be taken lightly." He glanced at Mani to gauge any reaction, but the archer remained stone faced, so he continued, "You are a danger, Mani. As long as you are not an official citizen, you remain a loophole for my son to exploit."

"Ya mean as long as I'm not under your thumb, I'm a danger to your authority," Mani bluntly supplied. "Sir, with all due respect, I'm no idiot. Now, your son has a good head on his shoulders, but he is still a kid, and I know that kids can still have stupid ideas." Stoick raised an eyebrow at the way the youth was speaking, as if much older than the proclaimed fifteen years. "But since I'm not an idiot, I can decide for myself whether to follow your son or you."

Mani paused, a bit, letting the words marinate in Stoick's ears. "I didn't follow your son for him, not even for you. I did it for me. I'm a selfish person," the blonde admitted, "and I tend to work in my own and Hati's best interests. Hiccup told me that my new home was in danger of attack, and I responded in a way to defend it. He was also offering to give me knowledge of other dragons, which I was willing to take. My own reasons, not his."

Stoick nodded slowly. "So I take it you're refusing my proposal?"

Mani visibly flinched, and stepped closer to Hati. The Timberjack looked surprised at how uncomfortable her Rider was, and gently laid her neck around the thin shoulders. Stoick frowned in confusion at the teen's actions.

" _Yes,_ " Mani whispered vehemently. "I am refusing your _proposal_." The last word was spat out with such poison, Stoick was surprised that acid wasn't dripping down the archer's chin. "I'll be happy to help defend my new home whenever it needs it, but I don't need to be a citizen of Berk for that. Besides," the blonde continued, "I don't really know how long I'll be able to stay here. Someday, I might have to leave, and I'd rather not leave anyone hanging for that."

Stoick couldn't help but chuckle. "Odin's beard, lad, I'm not suggesting marriage to some unfortunate soul. I only wish to officially welcome you into our protection, and introduce you to the rest of village. In case they wonder who the new Rider is. And, as you've surmised, it closes a loophole Hiccup might exploit."

Mani looked a little surprised at first, before relief showed prominently through those green eyes. But the words were still not what the chief wanted to hear. "And as I've said, sir, I only follow orders I think benefit me the most. I thank ya for your offer, but I don't need it, nor want it. Excuse me." Mani turned around, and headed back towards the woods, with Hati scuttling close behind.

"Tell me, lad," Stoick called out, "why would you leave Berk? It's fed an entire village for generations, so it's not like you'll run out of food any time soon. With the proper shelter, you can fair out through the weather. And we always protects our own. But the way you talk now, it sounds like you _intend_ to leave someday." He furrowed his brow in concern. "What are you running from, lad?"

Mani paused for a moment, before turning around and saying, "Sir, I believe that is encroachin' on the privacy that I had asked for. I am of no danger to Berk, that's what's important."

"So you _are_ running from something, then?" Stoick pressed, slightly disturbed by this piece of news.

"I bring no danger to your people, sir," Mani firmly repeated. "I promise ya that. And the moment it seems like I do so, ye can try to kill me, or I'll leave. There's another promise for ya."

Stoick watched, rubbing Thornado's snout, as the youth climbed back up a tree, using the arrows again. Hati turned to look at him, and snorted a bit, as if to say, 'Don't make my Rider nervous again, or you'll deal with _me._ ' Stoick nodded respectfully at the Timberjack before she turned to follow Mani. Just as the warg follows the god.

"Who else is chasing you, lad?"


	4. Setting Standards

When Hati raised her head, on high alert, Mani looked up from skinning the squirrel that would be part of their dinner that night.

"What's the matter, girl?" the archer asked. "What d'ya hear?"

Ears straining, Mani listened for any oncoming threat. Soon, the sounds of branches cracking and wings flapping reached them, and Mani dropped the squirrel and picked up the bow lying nearby.

Soon, a Gronckle came crashing through the trees near them, covered in weapons and running on all fours.

"What in Valhalla?" Mani cried. The teen jumped onto Hati's saddle, and the two chased the unfortunate dragon.

"Mani!" a voice called out.

The archer turned a bit, and saw Hiccup and Toothless catching up to them. "Hiccup!" Mani greeted, kneeling on the saddle. "What's goin' on?"

"I'm not sure," Hiccup admitted. "But Meatlug's scared, and we gotta calm her down."

"What spooked her?"

"I don't know. Hopefully, Fishlegs can catch up soon to say."

The blonde smiled. "Well let's go save a dragon, eh?" Mani lay back down on Hati's saddle, and urged the Timberjack faster. The large dragon looked over at Toothless, and gave him a look that could only be described as a challenge. The Night Fury snorted, and the two of them sped off towards the Grockle.

Fortunately, Meatlug soon ran out of ground, coming to a stop at the edge of a cliff. Her two pursuers landed a bit away from her, slipping out of the saddles and slowly walking to her.

"Hey girl, it's me," Hiccup softly crooned. "Remember me? Your old pal Hiccup. Nothing to be afraid of." Mani stayed behind, letting the older teen take the reins. "We're gonna figure this out, but you have to stay still." Hiccup took a step closer to Meatlug, but the Gronckle began to back away towards the edge.

"No no no no!" Hiccup quickly said, still speaking softly, and still creeping closer.

Suddenly Fishlegs came running to them yelling worriedly. "Hiccup!"

"Not now, Fishlegs," Hiccup called back, trying to keep his voice calm for the spooked dragon.

"No, no, you don't understand!" Fishlegs protested.

"What's wrong?" Mani frowned.

"Not. Now. Fishlegs." Hiccup groaned, seeing that his friend's anxiety was only distressing his dragon more. He stepped even closer to Meatlug, hoping to calm her down.

"Your leg! It's metal!" Fishlegs blurted out, as Hiccup took one last step, before his prosthetic slipped out from under him and latched onto the belly of the Gronckle.

"Oh. I see." Hiccup belatedly realized the problem.

But the quick action, or maybe the fact something else had attached itself to her, scared Meatlug into flight. She pushed off the ground, and flew out to the sea.

"Where are you going?" Fishlegs called out.

"Absolutely no idea!" came the reply, fading fast.

Toothless gave a small roar at the sight of his Rider disappearing.

"Well don't just stand there!" Mani cried. "Hop on, and let's get him!"

"Hop on?" Fishlegs timidly echoed. "On Toothless?"

"He can't fly on his own, right?" Mani asked, crawling onto Hati's saddle. "And I personally would rather ride my own dragon if I can. So, yes, on Toothless."

The Night Fury seemed to agree with the archer, and he wrapped a tail around the large boy, inviting him on the saddle. Fishlegs awkwardly clambered on the saddle, saying, "Let's not break any speed records, okay? Just give me the 'night' without the 'fury.'"

Mani scoffed at the timidity in his voice. "Man up, Viking! Let's ride!" And the Timberjack took off.

Fishlegs fiddled with the stirrups a bit, and the moment he released Toothless' tail fin, the Night Fury followed Hati, Fishlegs screaming all the while.

"Too much 'fury!' Too much 'fury!'"

"Fishlegs!" Mani called out. "I don't know how your dragon thinks! Ya need to lead me here!"

"Okay, okay," Fishlegs gasped. He straightened up a bit, and held onto Toothless' head. "Stay in her blind spot," he ordered. Remembering that Mani knew nothing of dragons besides Hati, he added, "That's mostly behind her, and beneath her. She can't turn her head around that much, so just stay on her tail. I gotta get under her to get her to barf."

"That's nasty," Mani commented.

"It's gotta be done. Go left!"

Meatlug veered suddenly to the left, and her pursuers followed suit. The same thing happened when the Gronckle flew right.

After leveling off, Mani said, "Ya know, when this is all done, maybe ye can come find me in the woods and teach me more about your dragons. That way ya don't have to interrupt your strategizing to explain stuff ta me."

"Yeah, sure, sounds good," Fishlegs called out distractedly, flying close underneath his dragon. He and Hiccup looked at each other with feigned indifference.

"Hey," Hiccup greeted.

"Hey," Fishlegs echoed.

"What's up?" Mani cheerfully asked from below them both.

"Well, not me," Hiccup answered. "How's it going?"

"Better than expected, actually," Fishlegs told him. He glanced up, and, seeing his dragon much more calm, reached a hand up to Meatlug's belly.

"Yeah, so this might be a bad time," Hiccup began, "but I just wanted to say sorry for leaving you behind the other day."

Fishlegs sighed. "Hiccup-"

"I know, I know," Hiccup interrupted, "you volunteered, but I still should have-"

"Hold up," Mani intervened. "Ya left a member of your team behind?"

"Mani…"

"No, no, Fishlegs, let me get this straight. He _left_ a member of his _team_ behind?!"

"I know, I should've insisted that we all stay together-"

"That's right, you should've!" Mani nearly yelled. Standing up on the saddle, narrowed grassy eyes met slightly widened emerald ones. "What kind of leader leaves behind his soldier?!"

"Guys! Really!" Fishlegs interrupted. "I'm trying to concentrate here!"

Mani turned to look at the larger boy before poking Hiccup in the forehead. "You and I will have words later," the angry archer promised before sitting back down.

"Wait!" Hiccup cried.

Fishlegs groaned irritably. "Seriously, can we talk about our feelings later?"

"No, look!" He pointed behind them, and they all saw an Outcast ship.

"Well, that's a bit problematic," Mani commented. "Shall Hati and I distract them while ya free Hiccup?"

"No, wait," Hiccup said, curling up and hugging Meatlug's leg. "I've got an idea. Tell her to fly down!"

"Uh, okay," Fishlegs stammered. "Girl, dive!"

Meatlug followed her Rider's order, and flew towards the water. Under Hiccup's guiding hands, she charged at the enemy ship. The other two dragons flew close behind, Fishlegs clutching Toothless' head and Mani wrapping legs around the protrusion on Hati's saddle. As they leveled off, they all noticed the archers and catapult launchers on the boat preparing to fire.

"Oh no, ya don't," Mani muttered, standing up and arming the ever-present bow. The youth sent multiple arrows flying towards the hands of the enemies, causing them to drop their weapons.

Hiccup guided Meatlug to the side of the boat, as just as he predicted, all the metal on the vessel flew towards the Gronckle. Crossbows flew out of hands, catapults flipped over and launched stones prematurely, and arrows soared out of barrels.

Hiccup laughed as his plan went off without a hitch. "Excellent!" he whooped. But as Meatlug flew higher, and Hiccup noticed that he had a lot of weapons soaring towards him, he backpedaled. "Oh, not so excellent…!"

"I got this!" Fishlegs cried, guiding Toothless underneath Meatlug once again.

"And I've got these!" Mani called, reaching for the arrows. The teen held on to them tightly as they struggled to follow the Gronckle.

Luckily, Fishlegs tickled his dragon's belly, and she upchucked the solid mass of magnetic rock, forcing all the other weapons to follow. Mani let out a chuckle as everything went crashing down the Outcast ship, causing it to sink. Hiccup fell onto Toothless, and Fishlegs jumped onto Meatlug, exclaiming joyously how happy he was to be with her again.

"So, what in Helheim happened?" Mani called out. "How come all the metal seemed to like Meatlug all of a sudden?"

"Uh, well," Fishlegs began, "I gave her some rocks to eat, so she'd make more Gronckle iron, but the combination of rocks she ate seemed to attract all the metal. I don't know why, but I guess that means we gotta be careful what we eat, huh, girl?"

"She eats rocks?" Mani asked. "Is that normal?"

"For a Boulder class dragon, yeah," Fishlegs explained. "Hey, now that I think of it, why didn't your arrows fly to her? Not the ones you just got, the ones you had before."

"That's easy," Mani smiled, reaching for one of the said projectile. "I made these out of stone. They're a pain to make, and they lose their sharpness rather quickly, so these," the archer held up the handful of newly acquired arrows, "will be very useful to me." The younger blonde now turned to Hiccup, smile vanished. "Now for you, Hiccup."

Hiccup sighed. "Look, I know what I did was wrong, and Fishlegs, I _am_ sorry about yesterday. I shouldn't have left you behind, I should've insisted you stay. Because really, we're a team. Meatlug is slow, yes, but you help us keep track of our positioning, and there was a sea stack where your hovering would've been perfect. We _do_ need you, Fishlegs, even if it's not all the time."

Fishlegs smiled. "I know that, Hiccup. You're a great leader, and I'll always follow. We know our role, right Meatlug?"

"Well, now that you've all established the teamwork," Mani called out, "I've got a few squirrels left to skin, so I'll be seein' ya! Fishlegs, remember, just come by anytime, and we can have those lessons! I get the feelin' that you're a great teacher." With a smirk, Mani and Hati raced ahead, leaving the two vikings behind.

"You know, Hiccup, maybe we should consider asking Mani to join the academy," Fishlegs offered.

"I've been thinking the same thing," Hiccup admitted. "But I don't know if he'd say yes. Or how Astrid would react…"

"Oh, yeah. She might kill him."

"Exactly. Well, let's go find the others and patrol some more."

"You got it!"

* * *

 _A/N: I have to admit, this one almost didn't get written. I was watching the episode, and I couldn't think of a reason for Mani or Hati to be around. They aren't exactly on the best terms with some of the members *cough cough* **Astrid** *cough* so, really, they wouldn't exactly hang around the village that much. But when Meatlug ran right into the forest, I thought, "Welp! That did it! Now she **has** to almost run into them! XD" Plus, Mani is definitely not happy with Hiccup's leadership skills at the moment. That one has got some high leadership standards._


	5. Learning with Fishlegs

Fishlegs and Meatlug walked about the forest, looking for signs that Mani was nearby.

"Seriously," the youth muttered. "If he wanted me to help him learn about dragons, the least he could've done was make it easy to find him."

Meatlug gurgled in sympathy for her Rider.

"Aw, you always get me, girl. Thanks for that."

"Hey, Fishlegs!"

The boy screamed a little, spinning around to look for the threat. He saw Mani carrying some logs right behind him. "Thor, Mani! Don't sneak up on a guy like that!"

"Why does everyone think I'm sneakin' up them?" Mani asked, head shaking. "I heard you comin' a mile away, thought I'd say hi, and see what's up? Need help with anythin'?"

"Uh, no, nothing," Fishlegs answered. "Just wanted to ask if you were up to learning about dragons today."

Mani's face broke into a huge grin. "That'd be fantastic! I'm really curious about all the dragons, and what they can do! I mean, the past year, I've only ever seen Hati, so any other dragon could kill me instantly. I think I can tell you anything you want to know about Timberjacks but any else would be difficult."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down, please!" Fishlegs interrupted. "Do you want to know about specific dragons, or do you want learn about each class?"

"Well, first off, let's get to my campsite, huh? These logs are gettin' heavy." Mani shifted the pile of lumber to get a firmer grip. "It's just this way."

Fishlegs followed the younger teen deeper into the woods. "So, where's Hati?"

"Around," was the vague reply. "We don't need to be with each other constantly. If I need help, I'll whistle, and if she does, she'll call me."

"Don't you ever worry that hunters would get her first, though?" Fishlegs asked.

"Oh, sure, every time. But, she was a wild dragon first. She knows how ta take care of herself. I'm the one who came buttin' inta her life, and she decided to stay with me. So, if every once in a while she wants ta go off huntin' on her own, I'll let her have her space. She always comes back to me in the end, and she shares her dinner, so it's all fine."

"Wait," Fishlegs paused, face contorted in a grimace. "You share a dragon's meal?"

Mani turned slightly, confused at Fishlegs' reaction. "Of course. If she's willing to offer, why would I refuse her generosity?"

Fishlegs stared incredulously. "You _eat_ the half-digested food of a dragon?"

"Wait, what?" Mani gagged. " _Freya_ , no! Hati's learned that's _not_ how I get my nourishment. Trust me, once was enough. And it happened to be a time when I was starvin', so I didn't even care where it came from."

Fishlegs groaned and shuddered. "So you _did_ at one time eat it?"

"When I say I was starvin'," Mani continued, "I'm not exaggeratin'. I got as sick as an expecting mother at sea after eating what she gave me." Mani stopped walking and placed the logs on the forest floor before turning to face the older teen. "No, when I say that she shares with me, I only mean that she hunts enough for two. I skin the ones I want, and she gets the rest."

"So, you've been living on squirrels for about a year, then?" asked the boy.

"Eh, not just squirrels. That's Hati's preference, and I'm more partial to boar meat, myself. These arrows aren't just for show, ya know."

"Where'd you learn to craft arrows? And shoot them like you did?" Fishlegs asked. Hey, if he could get more information about the stranger to share with the others, then maybe Astrid would be less likely to murder the kid when Hiccup asked Mani to join the academy. "It must've taken years of practice to be able to get as good as you," he added, hoping to butter the archer up.

Mani slightly raised an eyebrow. "Are ya grillin' me, Fishlegs? Just 'cause I tell ya a couple things about me, doesn't mean I'm about to spill out my life story. I think that's enough reminiscin' for the day. What are we gonna learn about first?"

"I thought we were waiting 'til we got to your campsite?"

Mani chuckled. "There's a reason we stopped moving, Fishlegs. I'm more than capable of talking and walking at the same time."

Fishlegs looked around, and saw evidence of a campfire, some wooden shavings, and clear signs of a giant, legless reptile.

"Oh." The large boy stood there awkwardly, before Meatlug lay down beside him.

Mani smiled. "Follow your dragon's example, Fishlegs. Just sit down, get comfortable." The smaller blonde fell straight down, cross-legged, and began to place some of the logs in the firepit.

"Are you starting a fire now?" Fishlegs asked, surprised, because the sun was still high in the sky.

"Nah," the other replied. "I'm just getting it ready for tonight. So! How about you tell me all about Meatlug's kind first? Since she's here?"

Fishlegs brightened up immediately. While he loved to talk and geek out about any kind of dragon, Gronckles were, naturally, his favorite.

"Well, Meatlug, if you remember, is a member of the Boulder Class of dragons. She is fourteen feet long, has an eighteen foot wingspan, and five thousand, seven hundred and twenty-four pounds of pure love." At this, he gave his sweet dragon a snuggling hug, which was happily returned. "Her skin is so thick, it's an impenetrable armor, yet it's still soft and springy, perfect for hugs."

Mani let out a little laugh that sounded remarkably like a giggle, which caused Fishlegs to pause and look up in surprise. But when the archer merely nodded at him to continue, he obliged.

"You might remember, she eats rocks, and they melt in her stomach to help her produce liquid fire. Which does a whole lot of damage. When she's angry, she is as ferocious as any dragon. But for the most part, she's as loving and sweet as a baby yak."

Fishlegs paused a moment. "Um, Mani? Not that I doubt you, or anything, but…"

"Never have those words been uttered without war breaking out later," Mani casually mentioned, but the green eyes were sparkling, reassuring Fishlegs that the younger teen wasn't too upset with him.

"Well, it's just that…" Fishlegs stammered. "We recently had someone come onto Berk, with the intent of learning all our dragon secrets and telling them to Alvin." The sparkle left Mani's eyes, but Fishlegs continued, "She kinda flirted with all the guys, and I just realized that I'm telling you exactly what I told-"

"Fishlegs," Mani interrupted, voice clipped, and as hard as steel. Fishlegs glanced over, and noticed how Mani's fists clenched tightly in anger. "Let me say, right now, that anyone who manipulates and lies to get what they want are lower than the dirt in my toenails. I will _never_ get you guys to tell me secrets in that way. If fact, if ya even have secrets, you'd probably be better off keeping them to yourself in the first place." Mani's fingers twitched oddly, as if the archer was tempted to whistle for the absent Timberjack. Instead, the blonde head just shook, and glared at the larger boy. "If these aren't well-known facts, Fishlegs, and they really are supposed to be secret, then I'm sorry for prying. When I ask for privacy, I know to extend that courtesy to my hosts, as well."

"It's not exactly a bunch of secrets," Fishlegs explained, feeling a little embarrassed that such an outburst came from the newcomer. "It's just that I was telling you exactly what I told Heather, and it occurred to me that if Astrid ever heard me saying this, she'd probably kill the both of us…"

Mani sighed. "That's not much better, Fishlegs. Look, I can't promise ya that I won't use this knowledge against ya. I'm a selfish person, and if I need to get away from everyone, I will be willing to use any knowledge ya give me against ya. But I _can_ promise ya that I don't _want_ to hurt ya, and I'll do everything in my power to keep every one of ya from harm. Hopefully, I won't have to run any time soon," the archer muttered, looking away. "I'm so tired of it…"

Fishlegs frowned. "Why are you-?"

"Not answerin', don't even bother," came the short reply. "Fishlegs, will it hurt your people if you share your knowledge with me?"

The heavy set boy shook his head.

"Do ya trust me enough to know that this Alvin guy is up to no good, and I will not be in cohorts with him?"

"Sure, I guess."

Mani raised a brow. "Not very reassurin'…"

Fishlegs tried to explain. " _I_ trust you, Mani, and I know that Hiccup trusts you, but I'm not sure about the others, except Astrid I _know_ doesn't like you. No idea why, though…"

"Okay, how about this: are _you_ comfortable with teachin' me about dragons?"

"Well, sure, I've got no problem with it," Fishlegs admitted. "And Hiccup knows I'm doing this, and he's cool with it, too."

"Well, then… Ya said Meatlug was in the Boulder class, yes? What other dragons can be in that group?"

Fishlegs, relieved that the conversation was back into safe waters, and completely reassured that Mani would not betray them, discussed dragons until the sun went down.


End file.
